


Not all happy endings are perfect

by multifandomgeek



Series: 1950s [2]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: 1950s AU, Angst, Coming Out, F/F, Family Issues, Fluff, Happy Ending, Internalized Homophobia, Lesbian AU, Marriage, Marriage of Convenience, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, background boy Ninex, the tiniest sex scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:35:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22499980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandomgeek/pseuds/multifandomgeek
Summary: Brooke wants to spend the rest of her life with Vanessa, and she has an idea to make that happen.--A sequel to “the women from the 7th floor”.
Relationships: Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, Monét X Change/Nina West
Series: 1950s [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578991
Comments: 15
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> once upon a time I wrote a Nina/original character fic where the OC's name was Kevin and I didn't know that Kevin was also Monét's boy name. Make of that what you will.

“How would your family feel if you married a black man?” asked Brooke.

Vanessa frowned at the question, pensive. “I don’t know, they’d probably be okay with it.”

The two of them were spending time at Brooke’s place. Vanessa had shown up with a bag full of vegetables to cook them dinner, and Brooke’s heart had been light as a feather ever since. She was supposed to wait until dinner to tell Vanessa the big news, but she couldn’t wait any longer.

“Do you think there would be a problem with the court?” asked Brooke in a serious tone, concealing the giddiness inside of her.

“Again, I’m not sure,” said Vanessa, focusing on the carrots she was chopping. “But probably not, those laws are for white people. Them judges would probably think I’m black too.” Brooke watched as the penny dropped and Vanessa suddenly turned to her with wide eyes. “Wait, does that mean you found them?”

Brooke nodded, biting back a smile. On the next second, she had an armful of Vanessa planting kisses on her entire face.

Brooke giggled. “We still have to meet with them and go over everything, but I think… I think this is it!”

\--

_A few months prior_

“Good morning, Miss Hytes.”

“Good morning, Miss Vanjie.”

Vanessa sighed. She longed to give Brooke a good morning kiss, stroke her cheek and ask if she slept well. “Are you-” she interrupted herself. She couldn’t give in. They had to keep up appearances, be professionals.

Brooke looked at her with a gentle smile. “It’s such dreadful weather, don’t you think? Although I slept so well with the rain against my window that I almost didn’t want to come to work at all.”

Vanessa sighed once more, relieved. “Indeed. I hate that I have to wear practical shoes. They don’t go with my outfit at all.”

Brooke chuckled fondly and the elevator arrived. They stepped in saying good morning to Mr. Smith in unison and stood so the back of their hands brushed all the way up to the 7th floor. Brooke intentionally ran her knuckles against Vanessa’s in a small caress that she could pretend wasn’t happening at any moment, just in case. They almost got caught with their fingers intertwined a couple of weeks ago, and were now refraining from touching in any way that wasn’t immediately excusable.

Vanessa hated it.

The doors opened with a ding and Brooke extended her hand to politely let Vanessa get out in front of her.

“I hope you have a nice day, Miss Hytes,” said Vanessa weakly, stopping for a second in front of the elevator’s closing doors, looking down.

“Actually, Miss Vanjie, would you care for helping me with coffee this morning?”

Brooke did not need help to make coffee. Both of them did it every day, multiple times a day even, but Vanessa nodded without question and followed the blonde into the office’s small kitchen. Brooke got the filter and coffee out of the cupboard. Vanessa let herself watch the blonde’s movements for a moment before setting the water to boil.

“Are you okay?” asked Brooke in a whisper.

“Yeah,” responded Vanessa, just as hushed. “I miss you, is all.”

“I don’t understand why you can’t just move in,” murmured Brooke, exasperated while filling the cloth filter with a few spoons of coffee. “It’s perfectly reasonable that I might want to save money by getting a roommate.”

“People aren’t stupid,” retorted Vanessa. They already had this argument. Vanessa simply didn’t want to risk it. She would love nothing more than to sleep in Brooke’s arms every day, but it was too dangerous.

“It’s like you forget we’re women,” whispered Brooke. She brushed their arms together, reaching for an unnecessary spoon. She didn’t linger. “We can’t possibly be up to anything naughty if there’s no man involved.”

Vanessa pursed her lips, her mind quickly supplying her with a whole lot of naughty things they’d been up to just this weekend. She didn’t respond.

“Okay,” sighed Brooke. “Just come over tonight, then?”

Vanessa nodded, inconspicuously placing her hand over Brooke’s on the counter as she poured the steaming water onto the filter. Brooke turned her palm up, giving Vanessa a gentle squeeze before retreating her hand back. Vanessa’s heart felt small. Knowing they couldn’t touch for too long didn’t make pulling back any easier.

“Thank you,” said Brooke in a normal volume. To anybody listening, it would simply be about the coffee but Vanessa knew it meant more. It was almost enough to make it all worth it.

\--

Making love to Vanessa was Brooke’s favorite thing in the world. Today, they were laying opposite to each other in bed, Brooke’s head in between Vanessa’s legs while the brunette squirmed and tried not to moan, having just made Brooke come with her fingers. She wasn’t succeeding in keeping her noises down, and it made Brooke smile proudly against her.

Vanessa came with a hand on her own mouth, muffling her groans of pleasure as she arched off the bed. Brooke licked her through it until Vanessa tugged on her arm and pulled her up for a kiss. It was messy, their tongues mixing each other’s tastes as Vanessa tried to wrap Brooke’s sweaty body around herself.

“I love you,” said Vanessa, barely pulling back with her eyes still closed.

“Marry me,” responded Brooke, in awe of her beauty.

Vanessa started laughing before her eyes opened completely so she could see Brooke’s serious expression. Even so, she kept smiling, fingers caressing the side of Brooke’s face.

“I wish,” she whispered.

“I mean it,” said Brooke, propping herself up so they could look at each other properly. “Would you? If I found a way?”

“Brooke, you’re a hell of a smart woman, but even you can’t make that happen.” Vanessa closed her eyes again, looking exhausted and maybe a little bit annoyed.

“I have an idea.”

\--

Brooke spent an entire year going to the bar on 9th street (after a few weeks of looking for it) in search of prospects. It wasn’t easy, she spent several hours observing people, trying to pick up signs that told her that a particular pair was a couple and not a hookup. Trying to guess if they had been together for long enough. Trying to see love instead of lust on men’s eyes.

It took a few tries and too many awkward conversations to finally find them, but when she did, it was all worth it. This could really work. She met with the lucky two several times, discussing every detail she could imagine before she even considered telling Vanessa. The other woman had already gotten mad with Brooke for giving her “false hope”. Plus, she wasn’t all that happy with her lover going alone to bars late at night.

Andrew and Kevin were the cutest couple Brooke had ever seen. They had been together for three years and were celebrating their anniversary when Brooke first met them. She saw the way Andrew looked at Kevin while he smiled and knew right away there was something special there.

Now, she was sitting at a table with Vanessa by her side, waiting for them to show up. The brunette was still very defensive about the whole thing, but Brooke didn’t mind. She knew she would come around. Brooke held her hand under the table and smiled. It was still hard for them to touch in public, even knowing they were in a safe space. Well, a safe space with a “no touching” policy, but still.

“You said he’s a bellboy?” asked Vanessa, biting her lip. She was nervous. Brooke was too.

“Yes. And Andrew works at the pictures.” Brooke ran her thumb over the back of Vanessa’s hand, reassuring her. “And Kevin has never been fired, he’s sure it’s as stable a job as he can get.”

“What if I don’t like them? Or if they don’t like me?” Vanessa pouted. “I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“I won’t,” said Brooke, though she knew she would. She was betting everything on this. “I only want us to be happy.”

“I want that too,” Vanessa murmured, squeezing Brooke’s hand.

God, Brooke wished they could kiss.

“Hi Brooke!” came an excited voice beside them. Brooke looked up, instinctively letting go of Vanessa’s hand to see Kevin smiling down at them. His huge smile was so contagious that Vanessa was smiling back before Brooke could even introduce them. “You must be Vanessa, right? Nice to meet you, girl.”

Kevin shook Vanessa’s hand and then Brooke’s, sitting down across from them just as Andrew appeared with drinks for everybody. He also introduced himself to Vanessa before sitting beside his boyfriend, looking as nervous as Vanessa had been all night. Like Brooke, he was betting everything on this.

The idea was simple enough: Brooke and Vanessa would each marry a guy from a gay couple who also wanted to vow themselves to each other. Then, the four of them would live happily ever after without having to worry about appearances anymore. In theory.

The practicalities of it were a little more complicated. They still had to decide if they should all live together or if each couple should try and get houses neighbor to each other. Could they even do that, with neighborhoods being so clearly divided? And what would they tell people when asked about children? That without considering if Vanessa and Kevin would actually be able to marry, since interracial marriage was still illegal in their state. Vanessa was sure it would be fine, but Brooke was still wary.

Besides, they would all have to lie to their families, and Vanessa wanted to “be together” for a few months before getting married, so her mother could accept it with ease. They couldn’t tell if they would be able to keep it up for long, or what they would have to sacrifice for it to work, not to mention how in heaven they would manage the domesticity of marriage with people they barely knew.

But that was all just background noise as Brooke watched Vanessa and Kevin getting along perfectly. She smiled at Andrew, who gave back an understanding look, visibly relaxing as their hopes finally started to unfold into reality.

Vanessa drank the last of her drink before slamming the table, a big smile on her face. “So, Kevin, will you marry me?”

Kevin laughed, and Brooke’s heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she grabbed Vanessa’s face and kissed her hard. They were all promptly thrown out of the bar for the forbidden display of affection, but they couldn’t be happier about it.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mija, are you sure you want to do this? Marriage is so important, and I'm sorry but it doesn't seem like you love this young man like you should."

Vanessa looked at her mother through her veil. She was having the last fit of her wedding dress, big and white with puffy sleeves, all but ready to walk down the aisle. Cooped up in a private room at the seamstress, she felt pure. But lying to her mother was getting to her.

She had come about a week early to help Vanessa with everything she might need before her big day. She even helped the seamstress with the pins, and now the dress was ready to go. Vanessa thought the meeting with Kevin went well, but give it to her mother to know her better than herself. It was easier when the lying was just on the phone and she could simply walk away if it was too hard. Now, face to face, it was breaking her heart.

"Mami-"

"Is everything alright?" Brooke peeked into the room before making her way inside.

It wasn’t the first time she was seeing Vanessa in her dress. She was the maid of honor, which made for a good enough excuse for being close at the actual wedding, but it also enabled Vanessa to force her to help pick a dress. Brooke had seen her in a white gown at least a dozen times by now, but she still hesitated at the door as if stunned by her lover’s beauty for the very first time.

The two of them barely got a minute together after Vanessa's mother arrived. Vanessa looked at her with an ache in her chest. She loved Brooke more than she could measure. If only they could share this moment without any lies coating their promises.

Vanessa started to cry, surprising herself as well as the other two women in the room. Brooke was quickly there, raising her veil to tap gently under her eyes.

"You're gonna ruin your makeup," said Brooke with a gentle smile that made Vanessa cry even harder.

"I knew it!" said her mother, hugging Vanessa sideways by the shoulders. "There's still time, cariño. You don't have to marry a man you don't love, no matter what you've told yourself. You're young, you’ll find your soulmate, don't-"

"I already found my soulmate," said Vanessa in between sobs. She stepped away from their touches, taking a handkerchief from the vanity to dab her tears away, inspecting her face in the mirror before turning to Brooke and her mother with determination.

Brooke was pale, her smile gone and replaced by wide eyes that were locked on Vanessa, waiting for her next move. Vanessa imagined she was torn between stopping her and urging her on. The thought made her smile, surer than ever.

"Mami, I know you'll always love me no matter what." Vanessa’s voice was steady, but her heart was beating so hard she was surprised it didn’t hurt. There was a lump in her throat and she couldn’t feel the tips of her fingers.

"Of course, baby. Forever." Her mother took a step forward, but Vanessa took her hands before she could be hugged again. “What’s wrong, mi vida?”

"I- I’m a lesbian," Vanessa blurted out, just like that. Suddenly, all the months she spent crafting this crazy backstory and this love at first sight with a man she barely knew seemed like a foolish waste of time. "All this, it's just for convenience. So I can be with the person - with the woman I love."

"What? How- what are you talking about, Vanessa?" Her mother shook her head as if trying to snap out of a dream. She stepped back, releasing her daughter's hands. "That's- you're confused. A love for another woman is- it's friendship. You see, I love many of my friends too-"

Vanessa interrupted her, grasping her by the arms this time. "No, Mami, it's not like that. It's real love. Like a wife loves her husband. Like you loved Papi," she said, her mother shaking her head through it. "We share a bed."

Her mother covered her mouth with a gasp. That was the last straw, apparently. Vanessa forgot for a second that Brooke was in the room too, watching the two of them, holding her breath.

"Everything is going to be fine, Mami," said Vanesa, swallowing her fear and going back to the mirror to uselessly retouch her makeup. "You always said I'm too smart for my own good, this is just a smart move is all. I promise you I'm not being forced into this, it's more of an agreement." She was rambling, not giving her mother the chance to say something she wouldn't be able to take back. "I probably could have chosen a better moment to tell you, I know. Should’ve told you before you came all the way here just to be disappointed in me. But I couldn't keep lying to you, Mami, I love you so much."

"Vanessa, mija-"

Vanessa was actively avoiding looking at her. "I understand if you don't want to walk me down the aisle anymore. It's okay, I can ask one of the tíos."

"Out of the question!” her mom snapped. “You will not! I didn’t raise my daughter all by myself to have Filipe or, God forbid, Manuel walk you down the aisle. That honor is mine, and I don’t want to hear another word about it!”

Vanessa turned around, moved by a sudden rush of affection. Her mother was still mumbling about useless brothers and unhelpful men while Vanessa smiled at her, feeling tears coming back to her eyes, now for a much sweeter reason.

“I’ll- hm. I’ll go tell the seamstress that you’re satisfied with your dress,” said her mother, her eyes never stopping in one place. She was clearly overwhelmed. “You stay here, I’ll be right back.”

She closed the door on her way out, and Vanessa turned her gaze back to Brooke, who still hadn’t said a word and looked like she didn’t know if she should be relieved or panicking.

“Does that mean she’s okay with it?” asked Brooke.

“I’ll probably still hear about it,” said Vanessa, stepping closer to her lover without even noticing, as if her body decided to touch Brooke without her knowledge. “But it could have been worse, right? She didn’t try to take me away or anything.”

Brooke touched her face softly. “I hope you know you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“Now is not the time to tell me that!” huffed Vanessa, looking away.

“I’m serious.” Brooke grabbed both of her hands. Just like she would if they could say their vows directly to each other. “I don’t care if I spend my entire life telling people I’m single. I’m not even that close to my family for them to pester me about it that often. We’re doing this because you cared so much and I need you, I- I’ll do anything for you. Anything. Everything.” She hesitated. “But now that your mother knows…”

Now my mother knows, Vanessa thought. Nobody else matters.

“What about the boys?” she asked. Everything was upside down and she didn’t know if it was a good thing or not.

“I don’t know.” Brooke stepped closer, framed Vanessa’s cheeks. “And I don’t care. Only you matter.”

\--

The boys weren’t happy, but Brooke knew first-hand how much of a breakdown Andrew was having about the whole thing. So maybe he was relieved too, even if he didn’t have the heart to tell Kevin. There was just enough time to warn people not to travel and cancel everything on both weddings. They couldn’t get refunds on everything, but Brooke didn’t mind. She would pay from her own pocket if she had to.

Brooke and Andrew decided to stay engaged. He was close enough to his parents for that to be necessary. Brooke would go with him to family events when needed (within reason) and assume the responsibility for the lack of a wedding. She had a few excuses about finances and inheritance that she could recite in her sleep and was sure would work. They’d stall everything for as long as possible, and “break up” if it came to it. She was cautiously hopeful for him.

Kevin told his family he was hurtfully left at the altar. He didn’t tell the girls the full story he made up, but Brooke suspected there was cheating involved. It was nice of him not to tell Vanessa about that. Hopefully, his understandably broken heart would buy him a few more years without having to justify the lack of a new girlfriend.

Even months later, the four of them still got dinner sometimes at the girls’ new apartment. They had picked it together, posing as friends, and Brooke signed for it alone. It was bigger than Brooke’s old place, with brand new appliances (the fridge was a fashionable baby blue and Vanessa loved it so much that Brooke was kind of jealous). If the neighbors suspected something when they saw the two of them moving in, they never said anything to their faces. And as long as Vanessa didn’t care, Brooke didn’t either. Their gossip couldn’t fade the happiness they found at their new home.

“Wouldn’t this place be much happier with a little one running around?” said Vanessa casually one night while hanging her coat by the door.

Brooke stopped in the middle of stepping out of her shoes. “Wh- what?”

“Ginny - you know, from the 3rd floor? - told me today she has some kittens up for adoption. I was thinking it would be nice if we got one. What do you say?”

The sigh that escaped Brooke’s mouth should not have been so relieved. But if Vanessa noticed, she didn’t show it. She was grinning expectantly, waiting for Brooke’s answer.

“Yeah, sure!” Brooke smiled and placed a light peck on her partner’s lips. “Let’s get a cat! Two, even!”

Vanessa jumped on her neck with a tight hug. “I love you so much, Miss Hytes.”

Brooke laughed, supporting Vanessa by the waist. “I love you too, Miss Vanjie.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you guys liked it! The response I had on the first fic was so nice that I'm sure I didn't get even close to that. But I hope it's still good enough <3.


End file.
